Mikel R. Nieto is a Spanish artist who explores the sonic possibilities and especially the aesthetic archive, the aesthetics of recreation and memories.
Nieto uses several devices, most are different types of microphones, some of which are manufactured by himself. But the equipment is not relevant but what you want to do with it.
The sounds are treated subtly or simply records the pure sound that's been recorded. The reflection that Nieto invites us is that his sound recordings requires listening, sometimes deep, consequently perception takes time and is not immediate. As we take time to listen, we will better understand its meaning.
Nieto participated in a workshop given by renowned sound researcher, also Spanish, Francisco Lopez who performed in the Amazon rainforest in Brazil.
Nieto explains in this interview how did come out and developed his latest work 'Machine Pattern 01' he made in collaboration with graphic designer Federico Sancho and he also expatiates about the projects he is involved. www.mikelrnieto.net, http://federicosancho.net and www.security-device.org

What was the criteria for selecting the sounds at the Factory AE Harris & Co.?

"Prior to the recording sessions, we had to do an exercise of administrative management for the company agreed to work with us on this project. Thanks to the efforts made by the team of the Security Device and the Be Festival, from whom we received the invitation to participate in the 2012 edition, achieved the final permission in order to go into the factory and make recordings. We were offered the opportunity to take a guided tour to the facilities for the details of the company and the work done there. This visit served us as a first approach and to become aware of the sounds, rhythms, patterns and acoustics. So we found it easier to access later to record into the factory. "
"The recording session, which lasted about three hours, was raised in the most practical way possible, in order to obtain a greater number of sound variations, so we take the rest that workers daily have for lunch and thus we record different rooms in vacuum, without workers. The result of these recordings is more flat and homogeneous, since the machines are in a ‘sound slumber.’ Then, the workers returned to their jobs and we start with the most dynamic and rhythmic recordings. We went from machine to machine looking for differences between each of them and get as many different minutes. During the recordings were used air microphones, electromagnetic waves and contact microphones for greater sound spectrum. All machines were operated by a person who remained at all times for hours in its workplace, except a cutting machine that was the one that was automated and did not need an operator. "
"The third and last room was intended for manufacturing and assembly process. Workers could afford in that room to talk normally to each other because the noise was lower, although they realize about our presence they continued their work in silence. In the previous rooms, the noise was excessive as to maintain a dialogue. In fact, many workers were unaware of our presence during the recording because they were focused and isolated from noise and many security guards were wearing earpieces. The first rooms were heavy machines and produced a sound in the room that blended with the rest of the machines and even between different rooms. The sound of some of them was powerful enough to vibrate the ground. "
"After three hours of depth recording we left the factory, with approximately 5 hours of recording and since we have different types of microphones and recorders, we could almost double the real time spent in the factory. This allowed us to do a 'scan' sound larger than normally occurs in the Factory AE Harris & Co.”
What conditions must have a microphone to make recordings of your field?
"I have a selection of different devices could be called transducers and I can record a single sound event and obtain different results. The air microphones I normally use, I manufactured them myself, and give an outstanding result. I have other microphones that theoretically are devices, transducers, which allow the same sound event collected but with another result, like contact microphones, hydrophones, microphones waves, electromagnetic, ultrasonic microphones, etc. Actually, any device out of our auditory perception, including the most common air microphones, could be considered as a transducer because they all fit an event for us so we can hear it. In any case, the conditions relating to the manufacture of a microphone and recorder that is connected to it are important but not the only factor to consider in a field recording. The conditions can vary a field recording is a compendium of many factors, for example, it has to be considered the recording conditions, ie how we placed a microphone in space or our presence in the recording, as well as the listening conditions."

What was the role he had the graphic "Machine Pattern # 01"?

"Machine Pattern # 01" is the result of collaboration between the world of sound and graphic. Both born in a project that challenges, among other things, security devices and thus the appearance of the final edition has an aesthetic device for protection, but fragile at the same time. We have taken care of all the details of the editing and publication format because both formats retro-feed each other. Inside the package we find a yellow cassette without additions, and paper down and it's kind of score that refers to what is in the cassette. All editing, has been designed and crafted by Federico Sancho, who has worked for the result whatever it is. 'Machine Pattern # 01' must be understood as an object that uses the graphics and sound to show a game between what is and what is not, between security and fragility."

Tell us about the Collective Security Device.
"Security Device is an open and collaborative project. Federico Sancho and I (Mikel R. Nieto) are the ideologues and project managers. We like to think it's a project without shape, without definition, and there is a place for many art-forms. Security Device has been built slowly in order to create a platform where they can merge various projects and artists that develop specific projects. Security Device isn’t a collective of artists itself; it is not a record label or a publisher. In Security Device we do things we believe in and where we need to do a reflection, for example, about publishing formats. For instance, we just published in collaboration with Oscar Martín (aka noish), 'Efímero', a sound work throughout the month of November in the metaminaFNR Radio. Soon we will publish a digital album of 24 hours which is an extract of the online radio broadcast. Then we are going to post in the same series a disc of one minute only with all recordings used in these works of different durations, for the people who are in a hurry. These recordings, which are the same ones that contains 'Machine Pattern # 01', are overlapped on each other a minute of noise generating almost indecipherable and questioning our attention and listening to digital editions. In this series, dedicated to length, we are also working with the artist Blanca Rego. In the next release of 'Machine Pattern' we will do it in collaboration with artist Pablo Rega and the Barcelona collective L'Automática in which the graphics will be an important part of the release."
Do you have any side-projects?

"Regardless of Security Device, I'm part of the Basque Country sound map team, soinumapa.net, which is a project born out in Audiolabin - Arteleku, audio-lab.org. Also I have a project alongside Blanca Rego called Marina, related to all matters relating to the sea: seaports, ships, underwater animals, etc. She makes the visual expressly for each piece and I compose with underwater recordings. Another project is Space Intersititial dealing with the interstitial spaces, between the natural and the artificial world. This year I received the Phonos scholarship from the Pompeu i Fabra University in order to do a version of this project in Barcelona."